TIME TO SAY GOODBYE

This is probably going to be a rambling post so bear with me.

Today is Funky Frolic's 2nd anniversary. It has been an incredible journey filled with many ups and downs but the time has come for me to say farewell and move on. It's not a decision I've made lightly but many of the things that have happened this year have sucked the fun out blogging. The file sharing issues and subsequent flood of re-requests took away the time and desire I had to create new content and I just couldn't muster the dedication that this place requires.

There are so many people I'd like to thank - from my fellow bloggers to all the wonderful people who left comments that would bring a smile to my face, friends and strangers alike. I've been lucky to have a group of supporters who helped make Funky Frolic what it is and it's been a joy to be part of a community of like-minded music lovers. Thank you all so much.

I feel like I've achieved everything I wanted here. The aim was always to celebrate the music I enjoy and bring it to the widest audience possible. I think that over the course of the last two years I've played my part in fostering the appreciation of certain genres amongst people. Around 7 or 8 terabytes of music have been downloaded through Funky Frolic and it's a thrill to know people have listened to albums I've recommended or mixes that I've created. I couldn't have imagined something I created would receive a million pageviews on the internet, let alone almost two million. It's been a wild ride and one I'll never forget.

I will leave the site up in case I have a change of heart and can't stay away or if I have a new project you might be interested in. I'll lock the comments function in a couple of weeks. You can contact me through my Blogger profile if you wish but please refrain from making music requests. I apologise to those who have outstanding re-up requests, I hope you are able to find what you're looking for somewhere else.

Well, I guess that's it. I've had a lot of fun and I hope you have too. As always, stay funky.

Mr.Craig.

FF020 LEGENDS OF LIBRARY - KEITH MANSFIELD REDUX PT.2

Download here

Track 1 - Teenage Chase
Track 2 - Disco Dynamite
Track 3 - Blue Bells
Track 4 - Crash Course
Track 5 - Bodyguard
Track 6 - Moon Ski
Track 7 - Close Shave
Track 8 - Incidental Backcloth No.3
Track 9 - Man Alive
Track 10 - Funky Thing
Track 11 - Exclusive Blend
Track 12 - Hot Property
Track 13 - Powerhouse Pop
Track 14 - Slow Rocker
Track 15 - Snake Hips
Track 16 - Stealth In The Night
Track 17 - Staying Power
Track 18 - Earth Watch (a)
Track 19 - Life Of Leisure
Track 20 - Funky Captions
Track 21 - Grandstand

Not much to say about this. It's 21 more track of pure Mansfield magic. Go get it!

RE-UPLOADS UPDATE 25/10

I've completed another raft of re-upload requests. You can find the links below. Hopefully tomorrow I'll get around to Part.2 of my Keith Mansfield Redux comp. Enjoy.

KPM 1043 - Beat Incidental
KPM 1078 - Sweet Groove
Sauveur Mallia - Automation
G.I Joe - Public Service Announcements
Les Baxter - The Dunwich Horror OST

FF020 LEGENDS OF LIBRARY - KEITH MANSFIELD REDUX PT.1

Download here

Track 1 - Handmade By Robots
Track 2 - Fast Back
Track 3 - Step Forward
Track 4 - Extravaganza
Track 5 - The Beat Moves On
Track 6 - Pop Trumpets
Track 7 - Passport International A
Track 8 - Blockbuster
Track 9 - The Busy Scene
Track 10 - Power Complex
Track 11 - Disco King
Track 12 - City Limits
Track 13 - Top Score
Track 14 - The Contract
Track 15 - Pretty Colours
Track 16 - Twinkle
Track 17 - Big Shot
Track 18 - High Velocity
Track 19 - The Fix
Track 20 - Funky Fanfare

In my continuing attempt to re-upload my Legends Of Library series, I proudly present to you Part 1 of the Keith Mansfield collection. The original compilation has been extended out from 15 tracks to a whopping 41 which hopefully provides a fuller picture of the exceptional talents that Keith has exhibited over his many years in the biz. Hardcore library fans will be familiar with many of these pieces but I've tried to put in a few that aren't as well known. Whether you desire go go, porn funk, groovy synths or easy listening there is plenty for everybody. Part 2 will follow soon. Enjoy!

THE KPM ALLSTARS - LIVE VIDEO

Here's a video from a recent performance by the KPM Allstars. It sounds like everyone is having a blast, on and off stage! Thanks to turn1ablist for the upload.

FUNKY FROLIC UPDATE 16/10



Hi folks, it seems Blogger is going through one of its famous temperamental phases. I haven't received any comments in quite a while and yesterday my pageviews dropped to almost zero for a couple of hours. Hopefully they get their act together soon and things return to normal. Apologies if you've left a comment and it hasn't made it through to me.

 

Here's a list of the some of re-ups I've done since my last update -

 

Themes International - New Blood

I Gres - Exotic Themes For Film, Radio & T.V

Romolo Grano - Musica Elettronica

Grant Boyer & Jean-Yves Guihal - Sports News

 



YOUTUBE LIBRARY MIX - VARIOUS ARTISTS



 

 

Download here

 

Track 1 - Wacker / Johnny Pearson

Track 2 - Articulation / Michel Bernholc

Track 3 - Tomorrows World / Geoff Bastow

Track 4 - Plank / Jacky Giordano

Track 5 - Cup Fever / Herbert Chappell

Track 6 - Highway Patrol / Berry Lipman & Orchestra

Track 7 - Catalepsy / Eric Framond

Track 8 - Mercury / Harold Fisher

Track 9 - Gun Law / Simon Park

Track 10 - High Velocity / Keith Mansfield

Track 11 - Rixe / Vladimir Cosma

Track 12 - Flock / Janko Nilovic

Track 13 - Gang Train / Bernard Estardy

 

There's a wealth of excellent library music that has been uploaded to YouTube over the last few years and I decided today it would be nice to put together a selection of my favourite tracks for your listening pleasure. This compilation features a diverse range of pieces from labels such as De Wolfe, Bruton, Patchwork, Selected Sound, KPM and Montparnasse. There's plenty of uptempo grooves to be found, interspersed with some more relaxed synth tracks and a couple of quirky oddities thrown in for good measure. Give it a download and let me know what you think. Many thanks go to the original uploaders who continue to graciously share these musical gems with a wider audience.

 

 

RE-UPLOAD UPDATE

Okay, I've just spent most of the evening re-uploading a bunch of your requests. If there's any still outstanding I'll try to get to them in the near future and hopefully I might find the time to put up some new content next week too. Cheers.

Re-uploaded -

Black Dynamite Soundtrack
Sex-O-Rama Vol.1
Progressive Percussions Vol.1+2 - Eddie Warner
Bruton BRK07 - Breakout
Bruton BRI02 - Tempus Fugit
Bruton BRL11 - Market Leaders
G.I Funk

RE-UPLOAD REQUESTS

Hi folks. I've had a bunch of re-upload requests in recent times. I just wanted to let everyone know I haven't forgotten about them but I've been very busy and it might be a few weeks before I get up to date. Bear with me. Cheers.

LIBRARY MUSIC MIXES - SEPTEMBER UPDATE

I thought I'd continue on with my work collating library music related mixes from around the web. First up we have Gafieira who is now going by the name "Ray Krebbs". He has put together a nice collection of music sourced from Marsellus Wallace's blog entitled "Soundtracks And Library Music (70's)" which features British, French and Italian library gems. Ray has also created a mix called "Big Beat And Library Mix" that takes a journey through the KPM catalogue, highlighting the tracks that have inspired the current generation of hip hop and big beat artists. Both comps are well worth a listen.

I'm not sure how I missed these guys previously but [astral projects] Records have released a number of awesome library themed podcasts which are packed with legendary names like Hawkshaw, Nilovic, Warner, Mansfield, Gray, Bennett, Giordano and many, may more. You can download them all here and be sure to check out more of their "Library Confessions" comps here ( they appear to be listen-only but if you have a search around you might be able to locate some download links ).

Funky Frolic regular blunderspublik has been busy on Mixcloud putting together what he calls the "Metameric Mix: Centipede Radio". Amongst a diverse range of sounds you'll hear pieces by Teddy Lasry, Bernard Estardy, Johnny Hawksworth and Piero Umiliani. You need to sign up to Mixcloud in order to hear the mix but it's well worth it because there's plenty of great music to be found on the site if you're willing to dig around. Take for instance Kid Sundance's fantastic KPM based set here or "Só Pedrada Musical apresenta: Sound Library" by Sopedradamusical that features an all star cast of heavy hitters from the library music scene.

If you have created or know of any other library mixes/podcasts that are available on the internet then leave me a message and I'll include them in my next update. As always, stay funky!

RETRO-SPECTIVE - A TRIBUTE TO RETRO-TEQUE

 

 

Download here

Track 1 - Supercharger / P.Milray
Track 2 - Airport People / James Clarke
Track 3 - 64K Ram / Claude Larson
Track 4 - The Rub / Alan Tew
Track 5 - Eyes / Alan Tew
Track 6 - Downtown / Shury, McDonald, Rae
Track 7 - That's Fancy 1 / Sammy Burdson
Track 8 - Warp Matrix / Trevor Duncan
Track 9 - Dirty Rat / Miki Anthony & Tom Parker
Track 10 - Day Shift / Alan Parker & Alan Hawkshaw
Track 11 - Strike Rich / Reg Tilsley
Track 12 - Tiger / Lee Mason
Track 13 - Headlines / Brian Bennett
Track 14 - Moon Ski / Keith Mansfield
Track 15 - Glass Tubes / Brian Bennett
Track 16 - Turbo / Trevor Bastow
Track 17 - Milky Way / John Scott
Track 18 - Dank / Les Hurdle & Frank Ricotti
Track 19 - You Were Right, I Was Wrong / Trevor Duncan
Track 20 - Top Score / Keith Mansfield
Track 21 - The Lady Likes / Mike Moran
Track 22 - Computer Programmer / Sam Sklair & Gus Galbraith
Track 23 - Bass Drive / Shury, McDonald, Rae
Track 24 - Feeling Tense / Stefano Torossi
Track 25 - Daredevil / Francis Monkman

Here is a selection of tracks culled from the many compilations posted at Retro-Teque over the past few years. It serves as a reminder of all the wonderful music that retronic shared with us and his impeccable taste. The composers speak for themselves, it's an all killer no filler set that will satisfy even the most discerning of listeners. If you only experienced a small taste of retro's work or missed out altogether then this is an essential download. Enjoy!

RETRO-TEQUE - LEST WE FORGET



 

It wasn't until I received a request to reupload Keith Papworth's "Hard Hitter" that I discovered that the wonderful Retro-teque blog has been removed from the internet. I haven't spoken to retronic yet but I gather from his comment at Dusty Shelf that he felt the project had run its course which is sad but completely understandable given the amount of time and energy he has put in over the course of several years.

 

Not only did retronic create some of the most compelling and enjoyable library music compilations to have ever graced the public's ears but he also made some super cool covers such as the example above. He was a key figure in my decision to start blogging and for that I will always be grateful, I sincerely hope his knowledge and passion will not be entirely lost because he's an absolute treasure.

 

I'm guilty of not downloading as many of his comps as I should have but in the coming days I will put together a small collection of highlights from the music which he so graciously shared with us all.

 

I'll also re-up "Hard Hitter" sometime before the weekend.

PIERO UMILIANI - CONTINENTE NERO

 

 

Download here

 

Track 1 - Rivoluzionari

Track 2 - Nel Villaggio

Track 3 - Nuove Realta

Track 4 - Antiche Tradizioni

Track 5 - Nuovi Fermenti

Track 6 - Sole Percussioni

Track 7 - Piffero Africano

Track 8 - Continente Nero

Track 9 - Riscossa

Track 10 - Ultimo Stregone

Track 11 - Continente Nero

Track 12 - Preparativi

Track 13 - Oasi

Track 14 - Tribalismo

Track 15 - Giorno Di Mercato

Track 16 - Flauto Africano

 

Piero Umiliani combines tribal music and esoteric jazz on this enjoyable 1975 release from the Omicron label. There's plenty of drama and mystery present with percussion playing a starring role on many of the compositions. It's a solid album with "Tribalismo" and "Nel Villaggio" probably standing out as my favourite tracks. Certainly a must have for those who want to hear another side to the late, great Piero. Thanks to the original uploader and eesywind for the vid. For more Umiliani click here, here, and here!

 

EVEN MORE LIBRARY MUSIC MIXES

I've come across a few more library music inspired mixes since my last post on the subject. First up we have LavLab from the Hostile Sloth Records blog who have produced three themed mixes in a series titled "Shhhh!....It's Library Music". There is the "Funk Edition", the "Lounge Edition" and the "Rockin' Edition". Of course I was immediately drawn towards the Funk Edition and am listening to it as I type this. It's a quality selection which dips into a number of different libraries but the bulk of the tracks appear to be sourced from KPM's and DeWolfe's. I would describe the general mood as being a bit more "groovy" rather than "funky" with lots of uptempo jazzy numbers featured but there's also a raft of fantastic drum beats and breaks scattered throughout ( including the ubiquitous "Hard Hitter" by Keith Papworth" ).

I haven't downloaded the other two mixes yet but I presume they would be of a similar high quality. There's no track listing included and as some of you might already know I'm hopeless at ID'ing tracks, so it might be worth leaving LavLab a message if you're keen to know all the titles.

The next mix comes from DJ Hudson, it's a live set recorded last year and is described as being "midtempo, beaty, relaxed". Almost all the tracks featured have appeared on albums posted at Funky Frolic at one time or another but here they are given more of a hip hop style treatment. It's a bit rough around the edges, sometimes the tracks lurch into one another rather than flowing naturally but the selection is top notch and I'm sure with a bit of refinement it would have been a home run. All the same it's still well worth a listen, you can download the mix here and the track listing can be found below. Enjoy.

Giant’s Causeway – Johnny Pearson
Accadde A Bali – Ararwak
Hula Rock – Lew Howard & The All-Sters
Name Of The Game – Brian Bennett
Lightly Salted – Barry Ungar
Safari Park [Edit] – Stringtronics
Long Wait (from Hawaii 5-0) – Morton Stevens & His Orchestra
Discovery – Brian Bennett
Girl At The Top B – Alan Hawkshaw & Alan Parker
High Diver – Alan Hawkshaw
Bio Rhythm No.3 – Thomas Clausen
Ne Parlons Pas De Rien – Godchild
Mile High Swinger – Alan Hawkshaw
At Risk – David Lindup
The Heavies – James Clarke
That’s What Friends Are For (instrumental) – Alan Parker
Mixed Drums – Andy Loore
Scrabble – Rene Costy

PLONE - FOR BEGINNER PIANO

Download here

Track 1 - On My Bus
Track 2 - Top & Low Rent
Track 3 - Plock
Track 4 - Marbles
Track 5 - Busy Working
Track 6 - The Greek Alphabet
Track 7 - Press A Key
Track 8 - Bibi Plone
Track 9 - Be Rude To Your School
Track 10 - Summer Plays Out

This is a bit of a departure from what you'd normally hear at Funky Frolic. Plone's 1999 release "For Beginner Radio" contains 10 tracks of atmospheric and playful electronic music that at various times reminded me of Air, Jega, Bruce Haack, Portishead, Ego Plum and Tortoise. The middle section of the album particularly impressed me with "Marbles", "Busy Working", "The Greek Alphabet" and "Press A Key" all possessing a creepy vibe which would be well suited as the soundtrack to a haunted fairground. A couple of the songs outstayed their welcome including the plodding last track but anyone who enjoys the aforementioned artists should find something of interest here.

SKEEWIFF - SKEEWIFF VS KPM



Listen/Download here

Track 1 - Wild Waters (Keith Mansfield)
Track 2 - Brass, Beats And Bongos (Syd Dale)
Track 3 - Skydive (Keith Mansfield)
Track 4 - Crazy, Crazy (Keith Mansfield)
Track 5 - Daft As A Brush (George French)
Track 6 - Ballroom Beat Bonanza (David Lindup)
Track 7 - The Rat Race (Hawkshaw/Mansfield)
Track 8 - Effortless Elegance (Keith Mansfield)
Track 9 - ASBO (Keith Mansfield)
Track 10 - Shopping On Acid (Laurie Johnson)
Track 11 - Bossa Del Flamingo (Syd Dale)
Track 12 - Fly Funk (Parker/Bell)
Track 13 - The Hawk Shuffle (Alan Hawkshaw)
Track 14 - Boogie Man Beats (Kenny Graham)
Track 15 - Broken Blues (Keith Nichols)
Track 16 - It's Rhythm...And All That Swing! (Alan Moorhouse)
Track 17 - Jitter Boogie (Goodwin/Walter)
Track 18 - Jazz Hands, White Gloves (Dick Walter)
Track 19 - Trad Rags (Keith Nichols)
Track 20 - The Tap Tastic Toe Twizzler (Sam Fonteyn)

Here is another example of a modern day group attempting to breathe new life into 60's and 70's library music while adding their own particular sound. I know a lot of the purists will turn their noses up at such a concept but I think anything that broadens the public's knowledge of these wonderful but often overlooked composers can't be such a bad thing. For those unfamiliar with Skeewiff's work they fall somewhere between spy jazz and Fat Boy Slim with heavy beats combined with funky elements ( in this instance care of the KPM library ).

These kind of projects are always going to be hit and miss but for the most part they've done a pretty good job and I found myself enjoying it more than anticipated. You can click on the link above to listen to the tracks and download them individually ( click on the downward pointing arrows on the righthand side of the page ) or alternatively you can download the first ten tracks here. As always, enjoy!

MUSICA PER SONORIZZAZIONI - ITALIAN LIBRARY MUSIC 1969-1976

Listen here

Track 1 - Amedeo Tommasi / Radiazioni
Track 2 - Bruno Nicolai / Diffidenza
Track 3 - Daniele Patucchi / La Dimostrazione
Track 4 - Giuliano Sorgini / Fabbrica Spaziale
Track 5 - Piero Umiliani / Danza Magica
Track 6 -  Silvano Chimenti [Awake] / Colori
Track 7 - Mario Nascimbene / Rito Pagano
Track 8 - Gerardo Iacoucci / Alchemie & Alambics
Track 9 - Amedeo Tommasi [Di Jarrell] / Mondo Industriale
Track 10 - Amedeo Tommasi / Bollicine
Track 11 - Alessandro Alessandroni & Romolo Grano / Per Un Eroe Caduto
Track 12 - Ennio Morricone / Alternance
Track 13 - Armando Sciascia / Calm Sea
Track 14 - Floriana Bozzalla / Vento Cosmico
Track 15 - Giorgio Carnini [Zanagoria] / Diorama e Recitativo
Track 16 - Piero Umiliani / Arabian Synthesizer
Track 17 - Nico Fidenco [Donimak] / Industrial Feeling
Track 18 - Bruno Nicolai / Giano
Track 19 - Fabio Fabor / Caronte
Track 20 - Amedeo Tommasi & Stefano Torossi [Farlocco] / Superpotenza
Track 21 - Romano Rizzati / Azimut
Track 22 -  Piero Umiliani / Pellegrinaggio al Totem
Track 23 - Alessandro Alessandroni / SOS Spaziale
Track 24 - Egisto Macchi / Chanson de la Nuit
Track 25 - Guglielmo Papararo & Vittorio Montis / Jonosfera

This Soundcloud mix by Heroin In Tahiti features a who's who of Italian library music with the likes of Umiliani, Tommasi, Nicolai and Torossi all contributing pieces. The general mood of this collection is dark, brooding and cinematic...in fact you could easily pass the mix off as the long lost score to a 1970's exploitation horror film. Umiliani's "Arabian Synthesizer" provides a brief funky interlude but soon after we're taken back into the night. The linking of the tracks could be a little smoother at times but there's no doubting the quality of the music selected. It's a wonderful and worthwhile journey. For more library music mixes click here.

GET SMARTER - VARIOUS ARTISTS

Download here

Track 1 - Isbergues 2AM / Tony & The Mulestation

Track 2 - Freakout! / Les Merseys

Track 3 - Le Winston / The Nilsmen

Track 4 - Baseline / The Beatstalkers

Track 5 - I Was A Persian Fly / Jerry Allen

Track 6 - Slightly / Slamcreepers

Track 7 - Sleppin' / David

Track 8 - What'd I Say / The V-Rangers

Track 9 - Here Comes The Boot / The Johnny Harris Orchestra

Track 10 - Underworld / The Reg Guest Syndicate 

Track 11 - Black Olives / The Bad Boys

Track 12 - Night Rider / The John Schroeder Orchestra

Track 13 - Arcipelago / The Underground Set

Track 14 - Come On Back / The Wild Ones

Track 15 - Sweet Bacon / Julian Covey & The Machine

Track 16 - Pepsi / The Mohawks

Track 17 - Watermelon Man / Artie Scott Orchestra

Track 18 - Pinball / The Van Doren Hawksworth Collection

Here is a collection of funky 1960's grooves that fits somewhere inbetween "Blow Up: Exclusive Blend Vol.2" and the rambunctious sounds which have emanated from various Northern Soul compilations over the years. There's a healthy amount of go-go grooviness but many of the tracks feature a rock and roll snarl which gives the music a welcome oomph. Unsurprisingly two of my favourite pieces have a library music connection - "Pepsi" by Alan Hawkshaw and his Mohawks along with "Pinball" which was co-compsed by Johnny Hawksworth are both loads of fun.

This compilation is not for the pipe smoking, beard strokers out there. Rather it is a joyous and infectious celebration of sound that wills you towards the dancefloor. Many thanks to the original uploader.

FLIPPER PSYCHOUT - VARIOUS ARTISTS

Download here

Track 1 - Megattera / Sandro Brugnolini
Track 2 - Omnifarius / Roberto Conrado
Track 3 - Save Up / Piero Montanari
Track 4 - Spleen / Luigi Lopez
Track 5 - Magia / Oronzo De Filippi
Track 6 - Acromatic / Roberto Conrado
Track 7 - Ready Money / Roberto Conrado & Piero Montanari
Track 8 - Lustful / Amedeo Minghi
Track 9 - Pledge / Roberto Conrado
Track 10 - Marsuino / Sandro Brugnolini
Track 11 - Trip / Emma De Angelis
Track 12 - Orca / Sandro Brugnolini
Track 13 - Ticklish / Roberto Conrado
Track 14 - Castello Stregato / Oronzo De Filippi
Track 15 - Lamantino / Sandro Brugnolini
Track 16 - La Via Della Droga / Amedeo Tommasi
Track 17 - Likewise / Roberto Conrado & Piero Montanari
Track 18 - Stenella Dubia / Sandro Brugnolini
Track 19 - Chase / Pasquale Castiglione & Casa Paolo
Track 20 - Balenottera / Sandro Brugnolini
Track 21 - Asincronia / Alessandro Alessandroni
Track 22 - Globicefalo / Sandro Brugnolini
Track 23 - Suspence Magico No.1 / Amedeo Tommasi
Track 24 - Tradimento / Gerardo Iacoucci
Track 25 - Overcraft / Alessandro Alessandroni & Sorgini Giuliano
Track 26 - Lo Strangolatore Di Boston / Franco Bracardi & Giorgio Bracardi

With the amount of music I've bought/downloaded over the past few years it's been easy for some albums to get overlooked in my collection. "Flipper Psychout" is one such example but thankfully this post has given me a reason to fully immerse myself in the pleasures contain within this wonderful compilation.

What we have here are 26 tracks from insanely rare Italian library music labels such as Canopo, Deneb, Flirt and Octopus. The sound is completely removed from what most of us would associate with library music ( i.e KPM, DeWolfe, Telemusic etc.). The majority of tracks have elements of rock or jazz and as the title of the comp suggests there is also some excellent psychedelic moments to be found. From a production music standpoint it's hard to figure out how some of this music might have been used, due to the cinematic qualities at play it was probably more likely to find its way on to film scores rather than advertising or television.

"Scoctopus: The In Sound From Octopus Records" was my first ever library music purchase 15 odd years ago so it's no surprise that I love this compilation aswell given the similarities ( there's even a little bit of crossover between the two ). It's 70+ minutes of pure joy and an absolute must have for any library fan. Enjoy!

WIZZZ! VOLUME 2 - VARIOUS ARTISTS

Download here

Track 1 - J'aime Ou J'emm / San Antonio

Track 2 - Je t'aime Normal / Jean Et Janet

Track 3 - Maintenant Je Suis Un Voyou / Bruno Leys

Track 4 - Des Arbres De Fer / Guy Skornik

Track 5 - Dans Son / Chorus Reverendus

Track 6 - Je Suis Inadaptee / Brigitte Fontaine

Track 7 - Bonne Nuit Chuck / Philippe Nicaud

Track 8 - Herr Doktor Reich / Zorgones

Track 9 - L'Electocute / Jesus

Track 10 - 4 Cheveux Dans Le Vent / Bianc Didonc

Track 11 - Crazy Girl Crazy World / Alain Boissanger

Track 12 - KKK / Serge Franklin

Track 13 - Amstramgram / Isabelle

Track 14 - Hallucinations / Bruno Leys

Track 15 - Un Soir D'Ete / Nelly Perrier

While it might not be to everyone's taste, there's certainly some interesting stuff going on within this compilation of 1960's French pop and psych rock music. It has a somewhat similar off the wall vibe to the Popshopping advertising comps with sugary sweet vocals being teamed with fuzzy guitar and uptempo drumming to create sub 3 minute pop nuggets. I quite like the more rock 'n' roll orientated tracks such as "Des Arbres De Fer" by Guy Skornik and "Amstramgram" by Isabelle who sounds like she was about 10 years old when the track was recorded. Groovy!

 

EDDIE WARNER - PROGRESSIVE PERCUSSIONS VOL.1+2

Download Volume 1 here
Download Volume 2 here

VOLUME 1

Track 1 - Big Bell Boy
Track 2 - Cold Shower
Track 3 - Getting High
Track 4 - So What?
Track 5 - Funny Kid
Track 6 - Brutus Drums
Track 7 - Woodpecker Waltz
Track 8 - K.O
Track 9 - Shut Up
Track 10 - Xylo Spleen
Track 11 - Impatience
Track 12 - Latin Pop
Track 13 - Beach Beat
Track 14 - Why?
Track 15 - Drug
Track 16 - Telex

VOLUME 2

Track 1 - Devil's Anvil
Track 2 - Very Bell
Track 3 - Stop Stottering
Track 4 - Keep Running
Track 5 - Xylophagus
Track 6 - Vibra Trick
Track 7 - Piano Obsession
Track 8 - Syncopated Motion
Track 9 - Easy Bass
Track 10 - Scrape It
Track 11 - Strike The Keys
Track 12 - Beat It
Track 13 - Eccentric Trick

After my little holiday I've been suffering from the flu and haven't had the time or inclination to update Funky Frolic. However my digital crate digging has unearthed 2 incredible gems which I simply must share!

Library music fans should be fairly familiar with the work of Eddie, his tracks have appeared on compilations such as "Luke Vibert's Nuggets", "La Guepe Vol.2", "Music For Dancefloors: Cream Of The Chappell Music Library Sessions" along with "Le Jazzbeat Vol.2" which borrows heavily from these two collections. The albums, which were released through the L'Illustration Musicale label are overflowing with Warner's typically heavy drum sound mixed with vibes, wah wah and a range of electronic instruments. The results are uniformly brilliant, in fact I would be hard pressed to think of a single track that I don't love! Whether your tastes lean towards jazz, funk, rock, psychedelica or beyond there is so much pleasure to be had.

I could go into my thoughts on individual tracks but that would simply hold you up from downloading these albums immediately. "Progressive Percussions Vol. 1 and 2" easily slot into the top 10 best library music records I've ever heard, so do yourself a favour and check them out today!

Please note - it looks like the last track on Volume 2 "Spiel The Glock" is missing from this rip so if anyone out there has it then let me know. Cheers.

KENOSOBI & RANMECCA - FELA BEAT TAPE

Download here

Track 1 - Tune Intro
Track 2 - Lady
Track 3 - Frofight
Track 4 - Dilla
Track 5 - Amen
Track 6 - Beastmode
Track 7 - H2O No Enemy
Track 8 - Mos Def
Track 9 - ITT Thief Flip
Track 10 - Odoo

Do you like Fela Kuti? How about hip hop? If you answered yes to both then this is for you.

THE WEIRD WORLD OF - KLAUS WEISS

Download here

Track 1 - Survivor
Track 2 - Jumping Balls
Track 3 - Different Strokes
Track 4 - Early Start
Track 5 - Swinging Skins
Track 6 - Rhythm Function
Track 7 - Timed
Track 8 - Funky Breaks
Track 9 - Greenwich Street
Track 10 - Space Waltz
Track 11 - Productive Facilities
Track 12 - Don't Play That Game
Track 13 - Present News
Track 14 - A Few Cuts
Track 15 - On Disco Street
Track 16 - Morning 1/Morning 2
Track 17 - Drumcrazy
Track 18 - Rudiments
Track 19 - Density
Track 20 - Watch Out

Klaus Weiss began his career as a jazz drummer in the 1960's and he translated those skills through to his library music work which spanned the 70's and 80's, producing records of note on labels such as Coloursound, Golden Ring, Selected Sounds, Conroy and Sonoton. His trademark sound revolved around the use of electronic instruments combined with frenetic and often hard hitting drum beats. These funky nuggets which often clocked in under 2 minutes have captured the imagination of DJ's and music fans in recent years and for good reason, they are damn groovy!

This compilation is mainly made up of tracks from his library albums "Time Signals", "Sound Inventions" and "Sound Music Album No.18" with a few others coming from compilations such as "Puppet Jazz". If you enjoy the comp and would like to check out the full records you can find them over at the excellent Dusty Gems and also at Library Music Rarities. I hope you get as much of a kick out of this as I did putting it together!

DICK HYMAN - THE MAN FROM O.R.G.A.N

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Track 1 - The Liquidator
Track 2 - The 3rd Man & Danger Theme
Track 3 - The Man From O.R.G.A.N
Track 4 - Honey West
Track 5 - I Spy
Track 6 - A Man Alone
Track 7 - Thunderball
Track 8 - Mister Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Track 9 - The Man From U.N.C.L.E
Track 10 - T.H.E Cat
Track 11 - The Spy Who Came In From The Cold
Track 12 - Agent Double-O Soul

I just want to say first off that I'm very sorry about the lack of posts recently, I've had a few other things keeping me busy. I'll be off on a holiday in a week or so and hopefully I'll come back reinvigorated.

"The Man From O.R.G.A.N" is a seriously fun little record put out by Dick Hyman back in the mid 60's. It features a collection of spy related cover songs that are given the full Hyman organ treatment and the results are a real joy. The combination of spy jazz mixed with easy listening and exotica produces a smooth and rather unique listening experience that should please many of you who've not yet come into contact with this great album. Thanks to the original uploaders. Enjoy!

THE GREAT SPORTING EXPERIENCE - VARIOUS ARTISTS

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Track 1 - Grandstand / Sound Stage Orchestra
Track 2 - News Scoop / Symphonia Orchestra
Track 3 - The Trap / Ron Goodwin & His Concert Orchestra
Track 4 - Pop Looks Bach / New Dance Orchestra
Track 5 - Soul Limbo / Booker T & The MG's
Track 6 - Drag Racer / Doug Wood Group
Track 7 - Offside / Mike Vickers Orchestra
Track 8 - Drum Majorette / Queen's Hall Light Orchestra
Track 9 - Sportsnight / Tony Hatch Orchestra
Track 10 - All Sports March / Queen's Hall Light Orchestra
Track 11 - Light And Tunnel / Sound Stage Orchestra
Track 12 - Sporting Occasion / Queen's Hall Light Orchestra
Track 13 - Holy Mackerel! / Brian Bennett Band
Track 14 - Cranes / Doug Wood Group
Track 15 - Derby Day / Melodi Light Orchestra
Track 16 - Challenge / Melodi Light Orchestra
Track 17 - World Series / Melodi Light Orchestra
Track 18 - Saturday Sports / National Light Orchestra
Track 19 - Soul Riff / Doug Wood Group
Track 20 - International Sports March / Queen's Hall Light Orchestra
Track 21 - World Of Sport March / Don Harper Big Band
Track 22 - World Series / Sound Stage Orchestra
Track 23 - Grandstand / Queen's Hall Light Orchestra
Track 24 - Out Of The Blue / Band Of The Irish Guards
Track 25 - Goodwood Galop / Queen's Hall Light Orchestra
Track 26 - Sportsmaster / Melodi Light Orchestra
Track 27 - Heavy Action / Sound Stage Orchestra
Track 28 - Big Match / Sound Stage Orchestra
Track 29 - Tour De France / New Concept Orchestra
Track 30 - Football Fanfare / Melodi Light Orchestra

I was thinking about posting the excellent "BBC Sporting Themes" but came across this album which has plenty of crossover and a further 10 tracks. These themes will be ingrained in the minds of many UK sports fans but I'm sure some of the tracks has popped up in broadcasts throughout the world over the years. With the likes of Doug Wood, Brian Bennett, Mike Vickers and Tony Hatch featured you can be assured of a swinging good time and the various orchestras / bands add a hefty dose of pomp and circumstance to proceedings. Excellent!

Credit goes to Cosmobells for the original upload. It's a Rapidshare file so you'll need to be patient but it's well worth the effort.

SURVIVE ALL SHELTERS - RADIO SPOTS

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Track 1 - Maximum Protection (General)

Track 2 - Comparison

Track 3 - Value

Track 4 - Equipment

Track 5 - DYS

Track 6 - Maximum Protection (Steel & Concrete)

Track 7 - DYS (Short)

Track 8 - Maximum Protection (Steel & Concrete) Short 

Track 9 - Maximum Protection (Short)

For those who were unwilling to "duck and cover" these radio spots provided all the information you'd want to know about Survive-All nuclear bomb shelters. Aside from the obvious kitsch value of these recordings there are some very nice Raymond Scott style electronic sound effects. It's good fun to listen to and an interesting historical document to boot. You can find a shelter-load of details about this recording here.

THE BABY HUEY STORY - THE LIVING LEGEND

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Track 1 - Listen To Me
Track 2 - Mama Get Yourself Together
Track 3 - A Change Is Going To Come
Track 4 - Mighty Mighty (Live)
Track 5 - Hard Times
Track 6 - California Dreamin'
Track 7 - Running
Track 8 - One Dragon Two Dragon

From Pitchfork.Com -

"James Thomas Ramsey, aka Baby Huey, introduced himself on stage better than anyone else could have dared: "I'm Big Baby Huey, and I'm 400 pounds of soul." In the 1960s, he and his band, the Babysitters, played everywhere from the clubs of New York to private parties in Paris, but Chicago was where they were best known-- and where they called home. The band would play any gig that would have them during that time, from tiny blues clubs to cruise ships. As a frontman, Baby Huey was talented, flamboyant, and enormous-- anywhere from 350-400 pounds, topped off by a giant afro. Unfortunately, Huey died of a heart attack at 26 in 1970, and never saw his debut album released the following year. Since then, Living Legend has remained an obscurity, though its songs have long been embraced by hip-hop, having been sampled by everyone from Kool Herc to Eric B and Rakim to Ghostface.

The Babysitters were a full band with a horn section that could take psychedelic detours without losing their tightness or funky feel. They were the perfect foil for Huey, who brought it all together with undeniable stage presence and an earnest tenor that was compared to Otis Redding (which rings true if only for their powerful delivery). Listen closely, and you can hear the ravage of excess in his raspy crooning, before he leaps into the highest registers with a squeal that's equal parts James and Arthur Brown.

Produced by the legendary Curtis Mayfield, three songs he also penned make up the meat of the album. "Mighty Mighty" is a raucous funk shuffle, including handclaps and crowd noise that give it the feel of a backyard throwdown, with little girls piping in at Huey's invitation while he praises Walgreen's turkeys and Thunderbird in his proto-rapping. Its gaiety is infectious and almost overwhelming. The "Hard Times" arrangement seems almost restricting for Huey's voice and character, but we have to thank Mayfield for handing him the tune-- it's the record's most memorable melody, and Huey's version is superior to Mayfield's own. "Running" adds warbling electric piano and guitar to Mayfield's melodic funk, the most lamentable example of what the Babysitters could have achieved if Huey had lived to record another LP.

U.S AIR FORCE - RADIO PROMOTIONAL SPOTS

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Track 1 - Rock N Roll (30 secs)

Track 2 - Rock N Roll (60 secs)

Track 3 - Country (30 secs)

Track 4 - Country (60 secs)

Track 5 - Disco (30 secs)

Track 6 - Disco (60 secs)

Track 7 - Soft Rock (30 secs)

Track 8 - Soft Rock (60 secs)

Track 9 - Job Application

Track 10 - Space Alien

Track 11 - Battlestar Galactica (30 secs)

Track 12 - Battlestar Galactica (60 secs)

This 1979 promotional record for the U.S air force contains a bunch of variations on the same basic jingle. Things get a bit weirder from Track 9 onwards however when Commander Adama from Battlestar Galatica and even an alien are used to sway the hearts and minds of potential recruits. Rather strange and well worth a listen.

ALAN PARKER + NUDITY AND VIOLENCE = WOW

I was having a look around YouTube yesterday when I came across this little gem. It's a clip from the 1973 film "Furyô anego den : Inoshika Ochô" aka "Sex And Fury". The music playing over the top is "The Free Life" by Alan Parker, a track which has been used in more than one film / t.v show over the years. I'm not sure if it actually appears somewhere in this particular film or if it was simply used by the uploader for the sake of the video. It's a very catchy piece of music, I've had it rolling around in my head all day. As for "Sex And Fury"...you'll have to see it to believe it! Definitely NSFW.

Here's the same fight scene with what appears to be the original music. Still funky though!

B-MOVIE MONSTERS - VARIOUS ARTISTS

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Track 1 - The Bomb / Peter Reno

Track 2 - Musique Concrete 2 / Camille Sauvage

Track 3 - La Fete Fantastique 2 / Pierre Arvay

Track 4 - Hostility / Even De Tissot

Track 5 - Modernization / Pierre Arvay

Track 6 - Revolt / Even De Tissot

Track 7 - Uranium / Pieere Arvay

Track 8 - Conflagration / Even De Tissot

Track 9 - Danse Des Monstres / Pierre Arvay

Track 10 - Rayons Gamma / Pierre Arvay

Track 11 - Allegorie 2 / Pierre Arvay

Track 12 - Winds Of Change / Pierre Arvay

Track 13 - La Fete Fantastique 1 / Pierre Arvay

Track 14 - Jungle Song / Pierre Arvay

Track 15 - La Fete Fantastique 3 / Pierre Arvay

Track 16 - Haunted Lullaby / Eric Allen & Frank Reidy

Track 17 - Laboratorie / Pierre Arvay

Track 18 - Allegorie 1 / Pierre Arvay

Track 19 - La Fete Fantastique 4 / Pierre Arvay

Track 20 - Stalactites Et Stalagmites / Pierre Arvay

Track 21 - La Fete Fantastique 5 / Pierre Arvay

Track 22 - Le Planet Noire / Pierre Arvay

Track 23 - Telescope / Pierre Arvay

Track 24 - Algues Rouge / Pierre Arvay

Track 25 - Musique Concrete 3 / Camille Sauvage

Track 26 - Industrie Spatiale / Robert Hermel

Track 27 - Rosee D'Espace / Pierre Arvay

Track 28 - Sunspots / Derek Laren

Track 29 - From Outer Space / Eric Allen & Frank Reidy

Track 30 - Zenith / Even De Tisso

Track 31 - UFO / Eric Allen & Frank Reidy

Track 32 - Rosee D'Espace 2 / Pierre Arvay

Track 33 - L'erebe / Even De Tisso

Track 34 - Dark Moon / Simon Park & Antonio Valotti

Track 35 - La Fete Fantastique 6 / Pierre Arvay

Track 36 - Chinese Torture / Eric Allen & Frank Reidy

Track 37 - Andromede / Fredrick Bayle

Track 38 - Depart Fusee / Claude Vasori

A real beast of a library record, this De Wolfe release takes you on a trip back in time to a world where monster movies were all the rage! You can expect plenty of expansive and overwrought orchestration mixed with theremin and a few other unusual instruments. To be honest I hadn't heard much of Pierre Arvay's work prior to this record ( apart from a few tracks he contributed to Dr.Who ) but I was very impressed by what I heard. Other composers such as Camille Sauvage, Simon Park and Peter Reno should be more familiar to library fans and they provide some great tracks. This album should appeal to those interested in soundtrack music or the Bruton BRM series. Many thanks to pixel_face for passing this one on to me.

THE WHITEFIELD BROTHERS - EARTHOLOGY

 

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Track 1 - Joyful Exaltation

Track 2 - Safari Strut

Track 3 - Reverse

Track 4 - Taisho

Track 5 - Sad Nile

Track 6 - The Gift

Track 7 - Ntu

Track 8 - Pamukkale

Track 9 - Alin

Track 10 - Breakin' Through

Track 11 - Sem Yelesh

Track 12 - Lullaby For Lagos

Track 13 - Chich

I first came into contact with The Whitefield Brothers through a YouTube video for the song "Safari Strut". Clearly this is some kind of lost mystical afro/breakbeat album from the mid 70's I thought to myself. To my amazement however I discovered the record was released just a few short years ago. Once I had listened to the whole set the modern aspects on tracks such as "Reverse" and "The Gift" became apparent but the most striking part of the music is the dedication to authenticity, particularly when it comes to the truly stunning percussion work.

When performers try to mix a number of different genres together the results can sometimes be disconnected and wishy washy but there are no such problems here. The blend of funk, jazz, afro, exotica and Clutchy Hopkins style drumming is sublime and evokes images of taking a roadtrip through the heart of Africa. It's a glorious celebration of sound that I can't recommend highly enough.

The Whitefield Brothers ( aka The Poets Of Rhythm ) have released one other album that I know of, 2002's "In The Raw" which is also outstanding. Thanks to the original uploader. Enjoy!



LIBRARY MUSIC MIXES - VARIOUS ARTISTS

Here's a selection of library music related mixes you can find online. Whether your taste is for French, Italian or British labels you'll find something of interest here. Some of the featured artists include Alan Tew, Nino Nardini, John Cameron, Brian Bennett, Piero Umiliani, Syd Dale, Geoff Bastow, Alan Hawkshaw, Pierre Dutour, Alain Goraguer, Tod Dockstader, Mandingo, Blue Phantom and many more. Most of the mixes are streamed but a couple can be also be downloaded. 

Nastroteca Cosmica Mix - L'Alchemista

Quarter Life Party - Syd Dale Mix

Library Music Mix - Gafieira

Marc Mac In The Library - Marc Mac

Neut - Library Volume 1

FFFreakout - Panabrite/Library Music Feature

Bibliotheque - Insomniak

Bun E.Tapes Presents - The Bruton Music Library

Mr Raymond - Music For Libraries

KFowler - Ideas In Action

Corpus Octo - Corpus Octo Mix

September 70 - Explorations Of A Mysterious Continent

Interplanetary Dub - Le Disco Telemusic Remixed

Pinball Music - Autumn 2011 Releases

Timewriter - Astro Infinity

Unheard78 - Nightmare Induction Ceremony

TFM & Purge+Audit - An Introduction To Library Music

Dunwich Radio - Unknown Altitude